Gomoku openings are brief — five or six moves — but they set the shape of everything that follows. The side that establishes the initiative usually keeps it.
Why the centre
A stone at the centre of a 15×15 board lies on four lines that each have room for five in both directions. A stone near the edge lies on lines that are cut short. Central stones are simply capable of more, which is why Black's first move is almost always the centre point.
The practical consequence for White: do not let Black build unopposed in the middle. White's second move should be adjacent or diagonal to Black's first, not somewhere quiet.
White's reply
Two reasonable approaches. Playing directly adjacent — orthogonally or diagonally next to the centre stone — contests the area immediately and leads to sharp play. Playing one point further away is more flexible and leaves room to develop, but gives Black a freer hand.
Against a computer opponent, the direct reply tends to work better, because it forces concrete decisions early rather than allowing gradual accumulation.
Building shapes, not lines
Early on, avoid playing three stones in a straight line. It looks productive and it is easy to block — one stone at each end and the line is finished. Instead, place stones so that they form several potential lines at once: an L, a diagonal cluster, stones two apart in different directions.
The test for a good early stone: how many potential fives does it belong to? A stone that sits on three or four live lines is worth far more than one sitting on a single line you have already committed to.
Spread, then converge
Play your first few stones close enough to work together but not in a single line. Convergence comes later, when you can see which direction the opponent has neglected.
The first-move advantage
Free-style gomoku is a proven first-player win. That does not mean White loses every game — it means Black, playing perfectly, cannot be stopped. Against an ordinary opponent the practical edge is real but modest.
Tournament formats address it with rules like Renju's restrictions on Black, or Swap2, where players choose colours after the first three stones are placed. The game here uses free-style, so if you want a real test, choose White in the side selector.
Playing as White
White's job in the opening is to prevent Black from building two directions at once. That usually means blocking on the side where Black has the most room, even when no immediate threat exists. Reactive play is fine as White early — the aim is to survive the opening with the position balanced, then look for your own double threat.
A simple opening plan
- As Black, take the centre. As White, play adjacent to it.
- Build a cluster, not a line — three stones forming an angle beat three in a row.
- Keep an eye on which direction has the most open space and develop toward it.
- Do not create a three until you can follow it up; a lone three just gets blocked and wastes a stone.